Asian American Bar Association of New York and Legal Services NYC Launch Pilot Program to Increase Free Legal Services to Low-Income Asian Americans
June 19, 2014, New York, NY— The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) is partnering with Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) to expand pro bono legal services to low-income Asian Americans in NYC. The collaboration will begin with a pilot program offering AABANY members a CLE training on immigration remedies available to victims of domestic violence. Training participants will represent clients pro bono to obtain U Nonimmigrant Status, commonly known as “U-Visas.” U-Visas are available to crime victims who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and have cooperated with law enforcement. Pro bono attorneys will prepare U-Visas for LSNYC clients under the supervision of LSNYC attorneys. The first training will take place on June 25, 2014.
The program launches at a time when Asian Americans in New York City have become the poorest New Yorkers, who face special challenges in accessing public services due to limited English proficiency. The Asian American community is the fastest growing ethnic group in New York City, doubling in size from 1990 to 2010. Nearly one in six New Yorkers is an Asian American.
The collaboration will expand services to a population that is desperately in need of assistance, while enabling prospective and active attorneys to engage in meaningful pro bono work. AABANY and LSNYC hope to expand this project to offer opportunities and continued support for pro bono service for low-income Asian Americans in various practice areas.
For more information, please contact Yang Chen, AABANY Executive Director, at (718) 228-7206, or direct any inquiries to [email protected].
The Asian American Bar Association of New York is a professional membership organization of attorneys concerned with issues affecting the Asian Pacific American community. Incorporated in 1989, AABANY seeks not only to encourage the professional growth of its members but also to advocate for the Asian Pacific American community as a whole. AABANY is the New York regional affiliate of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Legal Services NYC fights poverty and seeks justice for low-income New Yorkers. For more than 45 years, we have challenged systemic injustice and helped clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country, with deep roots in all of the communities we serve. Our staff of almost 300 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps more than 70,500 New Yorkers annually.
Pro Bono Opportunity: Assist Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence?
Pro Bono Opportunity: Assist Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence?
Immigrant victims of domestic violence face several obstacles to safety. In addition to cultural and language barriers, abusers may use immigration status or threat of deportation to assert power and control. Immigrant victims are also less likely to call the police out of fear of deportation. The Government Service & Public Interest Committee and Pro Bono & Community Service Committee of AABANY are launching a pilot pro bono project with Legal Services NYC.
Dear members,
Please take our survey! We’re trying to do some good for victims of domestic violence undergoing the immigration complications. You can help. The survey is available by following the link in the title. It should take only a moment of your time. Thank you!